Adapter for discharge lamps



Aug. 22, 1944. Cfr-1 MaccARTHY 'ADAPTER FOR` DISCHARGE LAMP's Filed July '7,A 1942 Inventor:

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C aw ME .L Frm/A S a 9 h b C Patented 22, 1944 arrasarv ADAPTER FOR DISCHARGE LAMPS Charles F. MaoC'arthy, 'Medici-d, Mass., assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York appucaaon .my 7, 1942, serrano. 449,991

. suitable manner, as by soldering, to conductors 7 Claims.

My invention relates to a socket adapter io'r lamps and moreparticularly to an adapter .for use with tubular discharge lamps of the type now 'on the market,

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The obiectdof my invention is to provide a new and improved adapter for resiliently mounting a discharge lamp in aconventional socket so tha Y the lamp is cushioned against shocks.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 shows a discharge lamp supported at each end in ada ters constructed in accordance with my inven ion;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the adapter; Fig. 3 is an end view of the adapter, partly in section, land Fig. 4 is an exploded view 'of the lelements of the adapter.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a tubular discharge lamp III, such as a fluorescent' for example,l fluorescent 24. The contact members are-disposedin the chamber 20, one on each side ofthe guide memnular recess and a-l slot 26 .which extends from the recess to the outer-edge of the cap and which, when the cap is mounted on the base, is in alignment with the slot I1 in the base Il. In addition, the cap is.provided with an annular iiange 21 which overlies the base Il, in the man and form no part ofthe present invention so .l

that they have not been illustrated in detail. Preferably, they Vare of the type illustrated and described in Reissue Patent 21,545, issued -to The adapter II' is provided with a receptacle portion I3 for receiving the contact pins I0' of the discharge lamp and a plug portion Il for mounting the adapter on a lamp holder.. Preferably, the receptacle portionis so formed that the lamp may be locked therein by rotation so that it cannot become dislodged by jars or shocks and the plug portion is constructed with a contact structure such that it can be mounted 'in any lamp holder capable of mounting a stand-- ard discharge lamp.

To this end, the receptacle portion is provided with a base member I5 of any suitable insulating material, such as a moldedplastic. Formed in.

l at 23, the end of theloop being secured in any engagement with the contact' members.

ner shown by Fig. 2. The elements are held together by drive pins 23 which extendthrough openings 23 in the cap into suitable recesses 30 in the base. Inmounted position, that portion of the cap formed with the recess 25 overlies the chamber 2Il, as shown in Fig. 2,'so that' the contact members 2| are held securely in position.

In mounting the lamp in position on the receptacle portion the contact pins I0' are moved in alignment transversely to the axis of the lamp through the slot 25 and groove I9 until one pin engages the wall of the recess-25'; thereafter,` the lamp is rotated to move the lamp pins into The contact arrangement of the receptacle portion thus far described is similar to that of the aforementioned Marshaus patent.

The plug portion I 4 of the adapter includes a supporting member 3l of any` suitable insulating material, such as a molded plastic, which is provvided with contact prongs 33 for'cooperation with contact members 34 of the lamp holder I2.

The supporting member 3i is provided Vwith diametrical groove 35 having a curved `inner surface, 38 'for receiving a supporting spring 31, the purpose of which is now to be described.

The spring 31 is made of flexible resilient material and is formed as an annulus. It is secured to the, supporting member 3i by any 4suitable fastening means, such as a rivet 38 extending through the rim thereof. 'I'he spring 31 rests in the diametrical groove 35 and bears against alignment on the base' i5', the latter is provided with a groove formed by spaced integral projections in which the spring is seated. The conductorsk24 are connected to the contact prongs Letters Patent of the United-States is:

lamp holder, said member being provided with a t Y ment with the contact members 2| of the receptacle.

The resilient spring 31 forms a shock-proof support for the receptacle portion I3 of the adapter so that it absorbs any shocks orl 'jars transmitted to the lamp holder and protects the lamp from damage. This is of particular importance if the' lamp is installed in locations which are subjected to Ia great deal of vibration,l such as in buildings housing heavy machinery. It has beenfound that the resilient spring 31 is well able to cushion such Jars and vibrations, thereby protecting the filaments of the lamp from damage and greatly increasing the life of the lamp. Since the spring `31 is disposed in the diametrical groove 35 in the base and a similar groove 40 in the receptacle, pivotal movement of the spring relatively to either the receptacle or plug is prevented. v'I'his means that the receptacle end of the adapter may be gripped in the hand vand the entire-'adapter inserted in a suitable 'lamp' holder' by turning movement with- .out` causing relative movement between ba'se Il vand the receptacle Il. This means that the adapter may be easily mounted in position on a lamp holder by'rota'ry movement; moreover, vrotation' between the'parts I4 and I5 is prevented/ so that the conducting wires 2l are not in danger Iof becoming twisted'or broken.

In order vto protect the conductors 2l and to perimeter of which is seated in said groove and fastened to'said member, and a base having consiliently carried thereby and conducting means insulate the exposed inner ends oi' the contact prongs 33, the plug and receptacle are covered by means of a resilient sleeve l2 made of suitable'. insulating material, such as rubber. The sleeve isy so formed that at one end it overlies the flange 21 of the receptacle cap, as indicated at 43 in Fig. 2 ,and at the other end overlies a flange of the supporting member, as indicated at M. The sleeve 'will be maintained in position by the,

inherent resiliency of the rubber material of which it is constructed.

In most instances, the adapter may be secured l to the lamp holder i2 simply by inserting it; in

the holder-in engagement with the contact-pins. However, in certain cases, it may be desirable to provide an additional fastening means between the adapterand the holder, particularly in those instances where thelamp is a long one and where it will be subjected to estreme vibration. To this end, I provide a U-shaped clip" formed of electrically interconnecting the contact means on said supporting member and base, the center-- `line of the annulus being perpendicular to the centerline of the supporting member and base.

.2. A lamp, adapter comprising a supporting member having spaced contact pins for engaging a lamp holder, a receptacle member having spaced contact members for receiving the contact prongs of a lamp upon rotation of the lamp, `a resilient annulus, and conducting means for electrically interconnectingsaid contact pins and contact members, said supporting member and said receptacle member each being provided with a groove, portions of the rim f said resilient annulus being seated in each one of said-grooves and the annulus being fastened to said supporting member and receptacle member, respectively, whereby rotation between said members is prevented upon seating of a lamp in the receptacle member by rotation.

3. An adapter for use with a lamp -having spaced contact prongs comprising, in combination, a base of insulatingl material, vspacedcontact members carried by said base for cooperation with the lamp prongs, a supporting member having contact members forl engaging a lamp tion 'with the lamp prongs, asupportlng memsheet metal or. other suitable material, the arms of the U extending around the 'supportingmember 3| and overlying the sleeve 42, 'as shown by Fig.- 2. The central portion of the U-shaped clip extending around the baek of the lamp' holder lz 1 holds the plug portion of the adapter securely in seated position. The lclip may be made of springmaterial so that it snaps over the adapter and lamp holder. A n additional advantage of using the clip is thatitl prevents rotation of thev adapter in the lamp holder I2 when the lamp is rotated into seated position since the arms of the clip tightly and frictionally engage the plugportion I4 through the rubber sleeve l2. This means that it is unnecessary to hold the adapter with one hand when rotating the lamp so that the lamp may be easily mounted in position;

What I ,claim as new and desire to secure .by

f 1. A lamp adapter comprising a supporting, member having contact means for engaging a groove. a resilient annulus, aportion of the ber having contact members for engaging 9. lamp holder, conductors electrically7 interconnecting -the contact members on said base and supporting member, spring means carried by said supporting member and secured to said base for resiliently supporting said base on said supporting member wherebythe lamp is cushioned from shock, and"` a U-shaped clip havingleg portions connected to said supporting member and other leg portions and a base for engaging the sides and backrespectively of a lamp holder.

5. The combination of a lamp having spaced -contact prongs, a lamp holder and an' adapter between the lamp and the holder, said adapter comprising a base of insulating. material, spaced contact members carried by said base, the lamp prongs being rotated into engagement with said contact members, a supporting member having contact members for engaging a lamp holder, said I supporting member being mounted on the lamp holder by'rotation, conductors electrically interconnecting the contact members on said base and supporting member, spring means carried by said supporting member'and secured to said base for resiliently mounting saidbase on said supporting member whereby the lamp is cushioned from shock, and means cooperating with v said supporting member and the lamp holder comprising a clip connectingthe adapter to the holder for prointo seated position on said base.

'6. In an electical -appliance the combination of two axially spaced disk members of insulating material having openings, electrical connectors extendingthrough openings of the disk members, and a resilient annulus disposed `between the adjacent surfaces of the members with its centerline perpendicular to that of the disk members and diameterically opposite portions secured to central portions oi the respective disk members to reduce the transmission of shock betweenthem and to prevent relative rotary movement between them.

1. In anelectrical appliance the combination oi' an insulating disk member having a-surface v 2,850,001 'e 1 c l 3- venting rotation of the supporting member rela# f tive -to the lamp holder upon rotationof the lamp with a groove extending along a diameter thereof, another insulating disk member having a surface with a groove extending along .a diameter thereof substantially parallel with and facing the otherl groove, electrical contact means supported on one disk member, and electrical connector means extendingjrom said contact meansv through the other disk membermnd an annulshaving one v diameter parallel and in a plane with the grooves and diametrically opposite portions located in the respective grooves and'engaging opposite wall portions of each grooveangularly to position the disk membersA and to prevent relative rotary` `movement between the disk members and to 15 reduce the transmission of shock between them. 

